


(art) Learning to Draw for Fun and Profit (...or not...)

by Unforth



Category: Bleach, Elfquest, FAKE (Manga), InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale, Naruto, One Piece, Rurouni Kenshin, Supernatural, Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle
Genre: Art, Fanart, Pencil
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-10
Updated: 2018-04-13
Packaged: 2018-07-14 05:27:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 982
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7155533
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Unforth/pseuds/Unforth
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I'm doing some fanart and figured, hey, AO3 is a place for fanwork and I want to share stuff, so, ya know, here's some fanart. I'm thinking I'll just put everything in one post and add tags as appropriate.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Every once in a while I get it in my head to try to learn to draw better. Now is one of those times.

First up, Dean Winchester.

Pencil on Paper.

By me.

Inspired by [this image](http://67.media.tumblr.com/d9cfeef5bf8674d9171604ab2bf944c1/tumblr_o8i0j3oFB61s0zqcko1_250.jpg). Progress pics and all intermediate images in [this Tumblr post](http://unforth-ninawaters.tumblr.com/post/145652701303/so-here-are-all-five-progress-pics-and-the).

Started 6/4, finished 6/8, 3.5 hours total.


	2. Chapter 2

I missed a bunch of days because busy but the amount of time I've spent is about what I was aiming for (average of 15 minutes a day). I finished my second drawing today!

Castiel

Pencil on paper

By me

Inspired by this [image](http://66.media.tumblr.com/088bc6782838f36e67b987c3cac8e877/tumblr_o91p60yX9q1s0zqcko1_500.jpg). Progress pics in this [Tumblr post](http://unforth-ninawaters.tumblr.com/post/146181837778/and-done-a-total-of-three-hours-almost-exactly).

Started 6/10, finished 6/19, 3 hours total.


	3. Chapter 3

Mairisi asked me about how much art I've done in the past. So, basically, when I was young I drew a lot though I always beat myself up that stuff wasn't perfect, which made it harder to push through. I took art all through middle school and I was admitted to a high school that specialized in art education and required a portfolio be submitted, but I didn't go there because I got into a better school (for folks who know New York City at all, I was admitted to LaGuardia but I went to Stuyvesant - for those who don't know NYC, well, every year Newsweek puts out a list of the best high schools in the country. At the end of that list they have a list of about 30 schools that are so good they don't even include them on the main list because they skew the results too much...Stuyvesant is on that list of 30 schools...so of course I went there when I passed the entrance exam...)

ANYWAY. I doodled my way through High School, and into my freshman year of college, but then I stopped aside from taking an drawing class my senior year as a way to fill a general education requirement. After that, I didn't draw until I was done with school. In the years since then (um...8?) I have, three times before, spent some of my spare time drawing. What I always did then was I'd find an anime picture I like, put it on my computer or hold the volume of manga open, and do my best to replicate what I saw. Here are some crappy pictures of those efforts...

Fandoms for this are Rurouni Kenshin, Bleach, Naruto, Tsubasa, Inu Yasha, Fake and One Piece.

From the first time I tried to do that (which was in 2009...I think?):

From the second time I tried to get okay at art (2012)

(I'm so proud of this last one...it took me four hours...)

And my last/third attempt, which was in March, 2015 - the last time I really did any drawing at all.

So...yeah...I've done a fair amount of drawing in the past, but I haven't attempted anything realistic since I took the art class in college, which was summer 2004, and I've always been extremely shy about realistic art because I beat the hell out of myself when it's not perfect (I'm a lot better about not doing so than I used to be).

...I'll try to find some of my sketch books from MS and HS and some of the stuff I did in college...I know I love seeing progress on other artists, so maybe it'll be helpful to someone to see how I used to draw? I dunno...I don't actually have any idea what I'm doing, I don't know any art theory, I can just copy nicely. With enough practice, I hope that I can use "copy nicely" to learn how to art in general...

Also, because sometimes Tumblr changes perma-links and it sucks:

Original posts:

[1](http://unforth-ninawaters.tumblr.com/post/145408992168/unforth-ninawaters-fourth-picturemore-one) [2](http://unforth-ninawaters.tumblr.com/post/114334382943/still-feel-like-drawing-playing-with-volume-1-of) [3](http://unforth-ninawaters.tumblr.com/post/113993575678/today-i-tried-drawing-for-the-first-time-in-oh) [4](http://unforth-ninawaters.tumblr.com/post/113995291678/so-while-im-putzing-around-with-art-i-sort-of) [5](http://unforth-ninawaters.tumblr.com/post/113995759788/and-in-conclusion-here-are-all-the-larger-ones-i)


	4. Chapter 4

[pherryt](http://archiveofourown.org/users/pherryt/pseuds/pherryt) and [nekomatanoiroro](http://nekomatanoiroiro.tumblr.com/) suggested, respectively, that I try drawing Skywise from Elfquest and an animal, so I decided to go ahead and draw both.

Skywise  
Pencil on Paper  
By Me!

For inspiration image, see [here.](http://66.media.tumblr.com/e6f87884443bd91c35f6e7d22695e899/tumblr_o9ebsu13pG1s0zqcko1_400.jpg) All progress pics posted [here](http://unforth-ninawaters.tumblr.com/post/146517082913/skywise-from-elfquest-sequenceprogress-shots-a). If I feel like it or get brave, I'll print out a copy of the outline-only image and try doing this again, but with colored pencils. Colors scare me...


	5. Chapter 5

[Mishas_Angel](http://archiveofourown.org/users/mishas_angel) suggested that I try my hand drawing Destiel...I wussed out on doing something original but I found a manip I like I went with that. The original manip is by [IrenSupernatural ](http://irensupernatural.deviantart.com/)on DeviantArt. You can see the inspiration photo [here](http://irensupernatural.deviantart.com/art/Cockles-kiss-449101508). You can see the sequence of shots of me working on it[here](http://unforth-ninawaters.tumblr.com/post/146938732088/it-was-suggested-i-draw-destiel-so-here).

 

So. Yeah.

Destiel

Pencil on Paper

By Me

Really need to take a pic when it's not like 11 at night...


	6. Chapter 6

I had a few false starts before I settled on what to draw next, but it worked out...

Jeremy Renner

[Inspiration photo](https://67.media.tumblr.com/2b0d3844a81d1d8ebfe73b7115827f60/tumblr_oa4efktcCQ1s0zqcko4_400.png); [progress images](http://unforth-ninawaters.tumblr.com/post/147207621998/about-three-and-a-half-hours-to-draw-jeremy)

By Me

Pencil on Paper

3.5 hrs


	7. Chapter 7

Well, it's been a while since I arted but it seems like every year, right around this time, I start wanting to do it again.

My first big project of the year, and by far the most challenging art I've ever attempted, was for the Dean/Cas/Jimmy Big Bang! I created artwork for [The Jealous Knight](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10954017) by [jhoom ](http://archiveofourown.org/users/jhoom/pseuds/jhoom)and [profound-boning](http://archiveofourown.org/users/farawaystardust/pseuds/profound-boning)! You should definitely check the story out - it's a fantasy AU with, um, sexual precocious princely twins Jimmy and Cas, and a rather jealous Dean who serves as their personal body guard. As a bonus, Dean has a dragon named Impala!!

This took me fifteen hours, give or take, and you can see it on Tumblr [here](http://unforth-ninawaters.tumblr.com/post/160946585128/unforth-ninawaters-title-the-jealous-knight). Progress shots[here](http://unforth-ninawaters.tumblr.com/post/161163631148/i-just-realized-i-never-posted-progress-pics-of).


	8. Chapter 8

Long time no art...

Castiel silhouette

I've wanted a Castiel silhouette tattoo for about a year and had a clear mental image how it should look. I thought about commissioning someone, but...money. and procrastination. The @theroadsofararchive challenge on Tumblr gave me an excuse to take a stab at designing it myself. I'm pretty pleased with the result.

Pencil on paper.

About 2.5 hrs

Process pics, including my son "helping,"[here](http://unforth-ninawaters.tumblr.com/post/172493668033/progress-for-the-day-doubt-ill-have-the-chance).


End file.
